Gas-Phase Synthesis for Label-Free Biosensors: Zinc-Oxide Nanowires Functionalized with Gold Nanoparticles

Metal oxide semiconductor nanowires have important applications in label-free biosensing due to their ease of fabrication and ultralow detection limits. Typically, chemical functionalization of the oxide surface is necessary for specific biological analyte detection. We instead demonstrate the use of gas-phase synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) to decorate zinc oxide nanowire (ZnO NW) devices for biosensing applications. Uniform ZnO NW devices were fabricated using a vapor-solid-liquid method in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) furnace. Magnetron-sputtering of a Au target combined with a quadrupole mass filter for cluster size selection was used to deposit Au NPs on the ZnO NWs. Without additional functionalization, we electrically detect DNA binding on the nanowire at sub-nanomolar concentrations and visualize individual DNA strands using atomic force microscopy (AFM). By attaching a DNA aptamer for streptavidin to the biosensor, we detect both streptavidin and the complementary DNA strand at sub-nanomolar concentrations. Au NP decoration also enables sub-nanomolar DNA detection in passivated ZnO NWs that are resilient to dissolution in aqueous solutions. This novel method of biosensor functionalization can be applied to many semiconductor materials for highly sensitive and label-free detection of a wide range of biomolecules

Graphene based field-effect transistor biosensors functionalized using gas-phase synthesized gold nanoparticles

Research has focused on graphene for developing the next generation of label-free biosensors, capable of highly sensitive and specific detection of DNA or other biomolecules. The binding of charged analytes to the one-atom thick layer of graphene can greatly affect its electronic properties. However, graphene is highly chemically inert, thus surface functionalization through chemical treatment is typically necessary to immobilize receptors of the target biological analyte on the graphene. In this work, we use gas-phase synthesized gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) to functionalize and bind a DNA aptamer to the graphene surface. The graphene is employed in a liquid gated field-effect transistor (FET) configuration to detect the hybridization of the complementary DNA strand, as well as the protein streptavidin, at attomolar level (aM, 10−18 mol L−1). The sensor shows a high dynamic detecting range from aM to picomolar (pM) levels (10-18 to 10-12 mol L−1), can discriminate between a complementary strand anda single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)containing strand, and achieves adetection limit as low as 15aM. The high detection limit suggests that decorating biosensors with Au NPs synthesized from magnetron sputtering inert gas condensing technique is a promising method for biosensor functionalization, particularly for larger-area sensors that employ two-dimensional materials such as graphene

Sensors based on monochromatic interrogation of a localised surface plasmonresonance

The localised surface plasmon resonance in gold nanoparticles can be used as the basis of a refractometric sensor. Usually, this is accomplished by monitoring a shift in wavelength of the resonance peak, a task which requires measurements over a range of wavelengths. Here we investigate a different scheme, in which interrogation of the sensor is carried out at a single wavelength. We have used numerical simulations to estimate the effect that the shape of gold nanoparticles would have on the performance on such sensors. A variety of geometries of gold nanoparticles were investigated, including nano-spheres, nano-rods, nano-triangles, and nano-bowties. The performance of a sensor that operates at a single wavelength is controlled by dT/dn, the change in transmittance T with refractive index n, determined at the interrogation wavelength. In turn, dT/dn depends upon the extinction cross-section of the nanoparticles at the chosen wavelength, and on the density of the nanoparticles in the light path. Contributions to the sensor efficiency also include the shift in wavelength of the plasmon resonance and, importantly, the peak sharpness. Of the particles examined, gold nano-rods will provide the most sensitive sensors by a large margin

Calorimetrie sensor for use in hydrogen peroxide aqueous solutions

A sensor for characterising aqueous solutions of hydrogen peroxide is described. The sensor is based on the calorimetrie signal obtained when catalysing the decomposition of H2O2. The system is quick and simple, and is suitable for determinations of H2O2 concentration between 0% and at least 50% (w/w). Copyright © 2011 American Scientific Publishers. All rights reserved

Soluble structure of CLIC and S100 proteins investigated by atomic force microscopy

The ability to visualise proteins in their native environment and discern information regarding stoichiometry is of critical importance when studying protein interactions and function. We have used liquid cell atomic force microscopy (AFM) to visualise proteins in their native state in buffer and have determined their molecular volumes. The human proteins S100A8, S100A9, S100A12 and CLIC1 were used in this investigation. The effect of oxidation on the protein structure of CLIC1 was also investigated and we found that CLIC1 multimerisation could be discerned by AFM, which supports similar findings by other methods. We have found good correlation between the molecular volumes measured by AFM and the calculated volumes of the individual proteins. This method allows for the study of single soluble proteins under physiological conditions and could potentially be extended to study the structure of these proteins when located within a membrane environment